Leporinus is among the more diverse genera in the order Characiformes with around 90 valid species, and a phylogentic study by Sidlauskas and Vari (2008) demonstrated it to represent a polyphyletic lineage.

Four species (H. despaxi, H. megalepis, H. mormyrops and H. pachycheilus) were thus placed into the revalidated genus Hypomasticus which had originally been proposed by Borodin (1929).

The remaining species of Leporinus, except for L. gomesi, formed a clade alongside Abramites, and this grouping was itself placed in a large polytomy alongside the genera Anostomoides, Anostomus, Gnathodolus, Laemolyta, Petulanos, Pseudanos, Rhytiodus, Sartor, Schizodon and Synaptolaemus.

In particular there was an overall lack of a resolution of relationships within Leporinus, and the authors suggested that molecular analysis is likely to be needed to fully resolve the relationships between them.

The family Anostomidae is distributed throughout much of tropical and subtropical South America from northwestern Colombia to central Argentina.

The majority of species are moderately-elongate and somewhat rounded in shape although there are some exceptions, e.g., the relatively deep-bodied Abramites.

Greater diversity is apparent in the range of oral morphology, however, and members exhibit a wide range of adaptations in dentition and jaw structure.

A number of anostomids tend to swim at an oblique ‘head-down’ angle which has given rise to them being referred to by the generalised vernacular term ‘headstanders’.

References

Garavello, J. C., 2000 - Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia v. 150: 193-201Two new species of Leporinus Spix with a review of the blotched species of the Río Orinoco system and redescription of Leporinus muyscorum Steindachner (Characiformes: Anostomidae).

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